More than ever before, professional basketball is a global business, and the NBA isn’t always the happiest route for players with overseas opportunities.
Just ask a former Boston Celtics big man who reportedly turned down his latest NBA deal to head to Europe and join AS Monaco of the EuroLeague, per BasketNews.
“AS Monaco big man Daniel Theis revealed that before returning to the EuroLeague, he had an offer to stay in the NBA,” the report from BasketNews read.
“The 33-year-old said he received an offer from the New York Knicks last season but ultimately decided to come back to Europe. “I could have gone to the Knicks … but it was more for insurance that Mitchell Robinson came back from a long injury,” Theis said on the Euro Insiders podcast. “And then I talked to Tom Thibodeau and he said, ‘Yeah, you will be like insurance in case he can’t play and this and that.’ It’s like what I did with P.J. Tucker.” “For me, it was like, ‘Okay, if I sit for the rest of the year, what are my chances in the summer?’ So if I’m like, ‘Okay, I go overseas to Europe and play, play great, I might have a better chance.’”
Theis put deep thought into his decision to eschew the Knicks’ offer and join Monaco, which isn’t surprising coming from a high-IQ player.
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Theis made an international name for himself in a Celtics uniform (in two different stints), but he’s also played for the New Orleans Pelicans, Los Angeles Clippers, Indiana Pacers, and Chicago Bulls during his NBA career.
Though undersized for a center, Theis makes up for it with toughness and great rebounding positioning. He’s also an underrated shooter, something Theis apparently put to use once joining Monaco, per BasketNews:
“After joining Monaco midseason in Round 27, Theis made an immediate impact in the EuroLeague, averaging 11.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, 0.7 blocks, and 12.6 PIR in 23 minutes per game, while shooting an efficient 60% from two-point range and 42% from three.”
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Theis already established a decorated European resumé before ever entering the NBA. In his pre-Celtics days, Theis became a household name in German basketball, winning three Bundesliga championships and earning four German All-Star appearances.